Method of making boots and shoes.



A. L. RUSSELL. METHOD OF MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1908.

Patented July 30, 1912.

IINI SAS" IUE.

ARTHUR L. RUSSELL, 0F HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATEESON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF MAKING BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, rare.

Application filed May 28, 1908. Serial No. 435,518.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. RUssELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Making Boots and Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and particularly to a method of securing the upper in overworked position about the forward portion of a last. It is the present practice, in making shoes in which the marginal portion of the upper is worked over upon an innersole or a sole (herein referred to generically as the sole for convenience) having a lip or shoulder adjacent to its edge, to secure the upper in overworked position at the forward portion of the shoe by a binder of wire or tape. In this operation as heretofore carried out after the upper of the entire toe portion of the shoe had been first worked over the last by wipers or' otherwise one end of a binder was anchored to a tack at one side of the shoe and after having been passed loosely around the forward portion of the shoe was pulled upon at its free end to seat it in binding relation to the marginal portion of upper against the shoulder of the sole, after which the binder was anchored to a tack at the second side of the shoe. In following this procedure the binder is drawn upon at one end only and is required to slip or render over the upper in order to draw it tight on the side at which it was first anchored. Because of the frictional engagement of the binder with the upper in its course around the toe end of the shoe the binder does not slip freely and it is diificult, if not impractical, to pull the binder hard enough to cause it to bind the upper as securely as is desirable particularly at the side of the shoe adjacent to its first anchorage. Sometimes the operator, after having pulled the binder about the toe, advances the wiper plates to force the binder against the upper or seat it in holding position. In so doing the binder is forced rearwardly and sometimes is actually rendered slack or loose about and adjacent to the first driven anchor tack so that the upper at this part of the shoe is held insecurely, if at all. The upper materials are usually damp or in temper at the time the shoe is lasted and the toe portion of the upper is often made wet just before lasting. While the upper is held less securely than it should be held, as has been above explained, when the binder is first applied, it shrinks away from the binder as it dries and leaves the binder even more loose than at first.

In accordance with the present invention the binder is drawn into position to bind the upper in lasted relation to the sole, as for example about the forward portion of the shoe, by strains applied to both ends of the binder before the binder is anchored. In this way the binder may be drawn into binding relation to the upper with substantially the same tension at both sides of the shoe so that the upper confined by the binder will be securely held all the way around the toe of the shoe. The binder may be forced into binding position, or seated, by lasting wipers, or other devices, if desired and this can advantageously be done while the binder is held under tension and before it is anchored so that the binder is in this way made to hold the upper more securely.

In the broad aspects of the invent-ion it is not essential how the binder is anchored. For example, it may be fastened by driving a tack through it so as to nail it to the shoe, or a double pointed tack may be driven across the binder so as to clamp it to the shoe. hen, however, wire or similar material is employed as the binding strand one or both end. portions of the binder may advantageously be bent or wrapped around the projecting stem of a. partially driven tack to anchor the binder. The binder may be bent, wrapped, or otherwise manipulated about the tack after the tack has been driven, but by manipulating it about the shank of the tack while the tack is being inserted the stem of the ingoing tackmaybe made to draw the binder down more closely into holding engagement with the upper so that the blnder may be securely anchored by a light tack or a tack driven lightly into the shoe. The binder may be manipulated to fasten it about the tack while it is held under tension by giving appropriate movements to the holding means. It is sometimes advantageous, however, in order to secure the most effective tightening of the binder into holding relation to the upper, to employ means for pulling or holding it that do not lend [ithemselves conveniently to such actuation as would be necessary in anchoring the binder.

Under such conditions the binder is preferably disconnected from the pulling means before or during the manipulation of the binder for anchoring it. Advantageously and as herein shown, the binder is out between the anchor tack and the holding means after it has been initially bent to an extent that will assist in preventing it from slipping back while it is being further manipulated to secure it to the tack. This initial bending may take place about the shank of the tack or about a portion of the bending device.

As herein shown, the binder is bent about the bending device and more or less bending also takes place about the stem of the tack before the binder is cut, according to the time at which the shears effect their operation.

For the purpose of explanation an apparatus is herein shown by which the invention may be practised. It is not to be understood that the invention is limited in any way to use with such an apparatus as shown. Only those portions of the apparatus are illustrated which are concerned with the practice of the invent-ion and the mechanism will be but briefly described.

A full illustration of the machine and a complete description will be found in a copending application Serial No. 387,613, wherein the same is claimed.

Figure 1 illustrates one relative position which the parts, shown more fully in Fig. 4 may occupy when the binder has been passed about the forward portion of the shoe preparatory to tightening it. Fig. 2 is avertical section through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of parts including the tack driving and binder bending devices the latter being shown in section. Fig.4 is a plan view showing the position of the parts when the binder has been placed in binding relation to the upper and tightened by the inward and rearward movement of the clamps. Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing the wiper plates being used to seat the binder or to press it into holding position while it is held under tension. Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing the operation of bending and cutting the binder. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the shoe at the end of the described operation. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views illustrating other ways in which the binder may be secured or anchored in accordance with this invention.

The illustrated mechanism which may be used in the practice of this invention com- 65 prises the grippers 2 that are arranged to pull the upper at the toe and at opposite sides of the forepart of the shoe which is held against the sole rest 3. The wipers 4 are adapted to embrace the toe portion of the shoe and to be moved as indicated in full and dotted lines in Fig. 2 to wipe the upper upwardly about the toe end of the last and, if desired, to force the upper inwardly over the sole into lasted position against thelip or shoulder 5. The side pressers 6 force the upper over the shoe bottom and down upon the sole at the sides of the ball where the tacks are to be driven, while the rests 8 support the shoe.

The tack carriers 10 move over the shoe bottom from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 4, traveling rearwardly and inwardly as indicated by the arrows to position a plurality of tacks at each side of the shoe, where they are inserted by drivers 11. A reel 16 contains the supply of binding material in the form of a continuous strand which passes through the clamp 17 to the clamp 18. These clamps are mounted on the tack carriers, being pivoted thereto at 20. The clamps each comprise jaws 22, 24, see Fig. 6, and the jaw 22 has a depending stud 25 that engages a yielding incline 26 supported by the presser arm 7, whereby the clamp is rocked about the pivot 20 as it moves toward the shoe. The holder 12 for the forward tack at each side of the shoe is cylindrical, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and is arranged for rotary movement in one direction by means including the rack and pinion 14 and in the reverse direction by a spring 15; Each tack holder 12 is formed on its lower end face with shoulders 30, 31, between which extend the end portion of the binder adjacent to the clamp. The shoulders position the binder at the side of the tack opening through which the tack is driven and in position to be bent or wrapped about the stem of the tack by the rotary movement of the holder, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. A cutter in the form of shear blades 32, 34 is arranged between each binder clamp and the adjacent tack holder, which is also the bending device. The cutter is located with relation to the bending device so that the binder is sharply bent or deflected about the edge of shoulder 30 to form in the binder an angle that will catch and hold on the shoulder after the shears have cut it. A fuller description of the construction of these devices with their actuating mechanism and a more complete explanation of their operation may be obtained from the before-mentioned application.

In practising the invention by the aid of the illustrated apparatus, a shoe, comprising the upper materials and a sole assembled on a last, is presented to the grippers and the sole rest and the upper worked over the last by the grippers and the wipers in 1,os's,947

any desired way. The binding material is then drawn from the reel through the clamp 17 and passed around the forward portion of the shoe, the free end being inserted in the clamp 18, as shown in Fig. l, the wipers being raised to permit the binder to lie under them, as indicated in Fig. 2. In putting the binder in place it is positioned between the shoulders 30, 31 of each of the tack holders 12 and between the shear blades 32, 84 of the cutters. The tack carriers are then moved inwardly, preferably moving backwardly at the same time as in dicated by the arrows, and place the binder in binding relation to the sides as well as the toe end of the shoe. At the same time the binder is tightened about the shoe by the pull effected upon the opposite ends of the binder by the clamps moving rearwardly with the tack carriers. In the last portion of the inward movement of the clamps the studs 25 engage the yielding inclines 26 on the previously closed side pressers and are turned about their pivots at 20 to increase the pull on the binder. The parts may remain in this position with the binder under yielding tension while the wipers are actuated to press the binder against the upper, as shown in Fig. 5. lVhile the binder is still held under tension the tacks are driven and the tacks from the holders 12 enter the shoe closely adjacent to the end portions of the binder, as indicated in Fig. 6. During the driving of the tack the spring 15, previously put under tension by the rack and pinion 14, is released and retates the holder 12, as shown in Fig. 7, to bend or wrap the binder about the stem of the ingoing tack. The shear blades are in the meantime actuated to cut the binder from the portion of the binder material held in the clamps. The rotation of the bender takes place so quickly, however, that the binder has not time to slip back through the tack holder before it becomes sufficiently bent about the tack to restrain it. Preferably also the binder in being put under tension is bent sharply about the bending shoulder 31 and the bend thus formed aids in restraining the binder from slipping before it is securely anchored. Preferably the binding material employed will be wire, but a cord or tape or other suitable continuous material may be used and in case binding material is used which can be readily penetrated the anchor tack may be driven through the binder, as shown in Fig. 10, instead of the binder being bent or wrapped about the tack. A mechanism for this purpose is shown in a prior application Serial No. 385,298. Instead of a tack a staple may be used, as shown in Fig. 9, which can be driven either through or over the binder.

It will be understood that it is not material to the broad invention what kind of binding material or fastener is employed or how the binder is anchored.

Having explained the nature of this invention and fully described how it may be practised, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in placing a binder about the forward portion of a shoe, moving the ends of the binder inwardly over the shoe, drawing with separately yielding tensions upon the two ends of the binder substantially simultaneously to tighten it into position to bind the upper in lasted relation to the sole, holding the binder under tension, and fastening the ends of the binder while it is under tension.

2. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in working an upper into lasted position around the toe port-ion of a last, in placing a binder about the forward portion of the shoe while maintaining the upper worked over the sole, moving the ends of the binder inwardly over the shoe, relatively moving the shoe and the ends of the binder while holding the binder ends with separately yielding tensions to force the binder into position to bind the upper against the shoulder of the sole and put the binder under approximately equal tension at the two sides of the shoe before it is fastened at either side, and fastening the ends of the binder while it is held under tension.

3. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in placing a soft wire binder about the forward portion of a, shoe, moving the two ends of the binder inwardly over the shoe, moving the shoe and the two binder ends relatively to force the binder into position to bind the upper in lasted re lation to the sole and put the binder under approximately equal tension at its two sides, and permanently bending an end portion of the wire binder about a tack in the shoe bottom for anchoring the binder while it is held under tension.

4:. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in positioning a binder under tension about the forward portion of a shoe, driving tacks in the shoe bottom adjacent to the two ends of the binder, and

bending the ends of the binder about the binder simultaneously about the tacks to anchor the binder.

6. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in placing a binder about the forward portion of a shoe, clamping the ends of the binder, tightening the binder into position to hold the upper in lasted relation to the sole, initially bending the binder to form a kink to assist in holding the binder under tension, disconnecting the binder from the clamping means, and then twisting the binder about tacks or the like in the shoe to anchor the binder.

7. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in placing about the forward portion of a shoe a portion of binding material adapted to form a binder and clamping the ends of the portion of binder material, tightening the binder into position to hold the upper in lasted relation to the sole, driving tacks adjacent to the two end portions of the binder, separating the binder from the portions of binder material which is directly clamped and bending the end portions of the binder about the adjacent tacks without relaxing the tension of the binder.

8. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in placing a binder about the forward portion of a shoe and clamping the two ends of the binder to pre vent substantial slipping movement of the binder, moving the clamped ends of the binder inwardly over the shoe, relatively moving the clamped ends of the binder and the shoe to tighten the binder into holding position, securing the binder while it is held I under tension and freeing the two ends of the binder from the clamps.

9. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in placing a binder about the forward portion of a shoe and tightening the binder to hold the upper in lasted position, then driving an anchor tack and bending the binder about the stem of the ingoing tack while the tack is in motion to cause the tack to carry the portion of'the I binder that is being bent around it down against the upper and around that portion of the projecting stem of the tack which is closest to the surface of the work.

10. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in engaging the ends of a strand of continuous binding material extending about the forward portion of a shoe, moving said ends inwardly without releasing: them, and then tightening the strand to cause it to bind the upper in lasted position by pulling upon the two ends of the binding portion of the strand simultaneously and with independently yielding tensions, fastening the binder to the shoe while it is held under strain, and.- cutting the binder from the strand of binder material.

11. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in tightening a binder about the forward portion of a shoe to cause it to hold the upper in lasted position by pulling upon the two ends of the binder, pressing against the binder to force it inwardly against the upper while the end portions of the binder are held under yielding pulling tension adapted to take up any slack developed in the binder by such pressure,and then fastening the ends of the binder while it is still held under tension.

- 12. That improvement in the art of making shoes which consists in first working an upper into lasted position about the forward portion of a last, then placing a binder around the toe, moving the two ends of the binder inwardly over the last and pressing upon the outer face of the binder to seat it against the overworked upper, tightening the binder by holding its two ends and drawing them longitudinally of the shoe and anchoring the binder at both ends without first relaxing the tension.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR L. RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained-for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

